[Crester]

I was looking at the IS250 today... and when I opened the hood... something hit me. I knew there would be an engine cover... but I didn't realize just how much of the engine bay would be covered! You can hardly see anything! There's an engine cover... and then the sides of the engine are covered as well.

Is this a turn off to you? Or do you think a engine bay of a luxury car should be "clean to the eye" and not have wires and pipes going everywhere?

 

[James_F]

A lot of people that they market to (older) I would assume like the clean look.. I wonder how much of a PITA it would be to remove pieces to do minor servicing. I kinda like it covered.

 

[jimmy213]

in my opinion , i hate it covered with all that plastic, i like seeing the mechanical things in the engine bay, theres nothing like a big intake or turbo showing with the small engine details like polished pipes in the engine bay, the new engine bay looks nice and clean but who says the engine bays we have on the current IS cannot look the same way? I would rather see the big engine thats powereing the new IS, why be ashamed of it and cover it up

 

[METEORO]

Yes, it was a turn off to us when we fist saw it. The guys from Lexus were kind enough to remove most of it off, so we could take a closer look at the engine.

They did explain to us, that aside from asthetic reasons, the shrouding actually plays an integral part in the aerodynamics of the car. The help reduce lift as they re-direct air.

 

[lexyis300]

true that, this is the 350 engine bay, but they prob look about the same!

 

[METEORO]

Here is the engine bay without the shroud.

 

[jimmy213]

now i can see why they covered the engine up ,in this case ,it looks better with the shroud on, maybe without the side shrouds it would look better

 

[evangelp]

They should design the aesthetics of the engine like they used to in the old days. Remember the Porcshe 928 engine bay or even the Taurus SHO. Those were beutiful engines. I think Mercedes started this cover the engine with plastic crap.

 

[Crester]

They did explain to us, that aside from asthetic reasons, the shrouding actually plays an integral part in the aerodynamics of the car. The help reduce lift as they re-direct air.

Just curious... how exactly does it reduce lift? How/where does the air get re-directed?

 

[Rob L]

Yeah the engine bay of the 250 AWD I saw last night is the most covered of any car I have ever seen...I dont mind it but I can see how it would piss some off who like to have easy access to the engine and other stuff housed underneath the hood.

 

[Flipside909]

IS250 AWD 4GR-FSE

IS350 2GR-FSE

 

[petaa7]

i think the engine looks terrible without the covering.

this new engine is relaly ugly inside.

this also keeps the engine more clean too.

 

[METEORO]

Just curious... how exactly does it reduce lift? How/where does the air get re-directed?

What it does, it blocks the air from coming from the bottom of the engine and escaping from the top of the engine/hood area. It works in conjunction wiht the shrouding in the bottom of the car.

Basically it works as part of an upsidedown wing. Creating a low pressure gradient on top of the motor and a high pressure gradient on the bottom of the motor.

More or less that is how it was explained to us.

 

[timboIS]

Now this is a nice looking engine...

 

[Norcal IS300]

They should design the aesthetics of the engine like they used to in the old days. Remember the Porcshe 928 engine bay or even the Taurus SHO. Those were beutiful engines. I think Mercedes started this cover the engine with plastic crap.

Yeah the SHO engine was beautiful. Yamaha does great work. My Dad had a 1992 and I dropped the tranny.

 

[IS JOE]

I like the way it looks covered up. As long as it's still relatively easy to get to maintenance parts, I like it.

You could always just take it off and drive without it like I did with my IS300 the first 2 years I owned it.

Plus for places like here in California, the covers hide the things you've modified from people who you don't want to see that kind of stuff.

"Headers? What headers, officer?"

 

[tony]

Who wants to look at a plastic intake manifold anyway.

 

[fyeung04msm]

the engine is fugly without the shroud not like r 2j

 

[IS JOE]

the engine is fugly without the shroud not like r 2j

It looks so organic... like I expect it to beat like a heart when you rev it.


Or have I been watching too many of those weird animes

 

[pradda]

My personal opionion (I know I will get flamed for this) is that I couldn't care less what the engine bay looks like as long as it performs and is reliable. Nuff said...